1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to athletic equipment having shafts which can be adjusted in length. In another aspect, the invention concerns a golf club having a shaft which is extendable to accommodate a user""s increased height.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The game of golf is becoming increasingly popular with both adults and children. As a result of golf""s popularity among children, manufacturers now produce golf clubs in a variety of lengths to accommodate people of all sizes. However, purchasing a golf club of a shorter length does not allow a growing child to use the club for very long. As the young golfer grows, he or she must continually replace the club as it becomes too short for proper use.
Prior art golf clubs employing extendable shafts typically have one or all of the following disadvantages: (1) The extendable shaft is not strong enough to withstand repeated impacting of a standard golf ball; (2) the extendable shaft is too heavy compared to high quality non-extendable shafts; (3) the extendable shaft is not sufficiently flexible relative to high quality non-extendable shafts; (4) the extendable shaft is difficult to properly extend; and/or (5) the extendable shaft is not as aesthetically pleasing as a standard shaft due to the irregular shape of the shaft segments and the joints between shaft segments.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an extendable golf club having a shaft that is similar in weight, strength, flexibility, and appearance to a standard, non-extendable, high quality golf club shaft.
A further object of the invention is to provide an extendable golf club employing a relatively simple method of extending the length of the golf club shaft.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an extendable golf club that utilizes substantially identical shaft-lengthening spacer segments, thereby reducing the overall cost of manufacturing the extendable golf club.
It should be understood that the above-listed objects of the present invention need not all be accomplished by the invention claimed herein. Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, claims, and drawing figures.
Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an extendable golf club comprising a shaft and a first spacer for lengthening the shaft. The shaft includes a first section, a second section, and a set screw threadably received in the first section. The golf club is shiftable from a first configuration wherein the first spacer is entirely detached and spaced from the shaft to a second configuration wherein the first spacer is coupled between the first and second sections to thereby lengthen the shaft relative to the first configuration. The set screw engages the second section when the golf club is in the first configuration, thereby releasably coupling the first and second sections to one another. The set screw engages the first spacer when the golf club is in the second configuration, thereby releasably coupling the first section and the first spacer to one another.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an extendable golf club comprising a shaft and a first spacer for lengthening the shaft. The shaft includes first and second sections. The golf club is shiftable from a first configuration wherein the first spacer is entirely detached and spaced from the shaft to a second configuration wherein the first spacer is threadably coupled between the first and second sections to thereby lengthen the shaft relative to the first configuration. The first and second sections are threadably intercoupled when the golf club is in the first configuration. The first spacer includes an adhesive capsule when the golf club is in the first configuration. The adhesive capsule is adapted to rupture when the golf club is shifted from the first configuration to the second configuration to thereby permanently couple the first spacer to the second section.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an extendable golf club comprising a shaft and a first spacer for lengthening the shaft. The shaft includes a first section, a second section, and a set screw threadably received in the first section. The golf club is shiftable from a first configuration wherein the first spacer is entirely detached and spaced from the shaft to a second configuration wherein the first spacer is threadably coupled between the first and second sections to thereby lengthen the shaft relative to the first configuration. The first section includes a female end portion, while the second section includes a male end portion. The male end portion is threadably received in the female end portion with the set screw engaging the male end portion when the golf club is in the first configuration. The first spacer includes a male projection and a female opening. The male end portion of the second section is threadably received in the female opening of the first spacer and the male projection of the first spacer is threadably received in the female end portion of the first section when the golf club is in the second configuration. The set screw engages the male projection of the first spacer when the golf club is in the second configuration. The first spacer includes an adhesive capsule located in the female opening when the golf club is in the first configuration. The adhesive capsule is adapted to be ruptured by the male end portion of the second section when the golf club is shifted from the first configuration to the second configuration, thereby permanently fixing the first spacer to the second section.
In a still further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of lengthening a golf club having a threadably interconnectable first and second shaft sections. The method comprises the steps of: (a) loosening a set screw threadably received in the first shaft section, thereby shifting the set screw out of engagement with the second shaft section; (b) unscrewing the second shaft section from the first shaft section, thereby decoupling the shaft sections from one another; (c) threadably coupling a first spacer between the first and second shaft sections, thereby lengthening the golf club; and (d) tightening the set screw into engagement with the first spacer, thereby releasably locking the first spacer to the first shaft section.